


Traitorous Blood

by bookobsessed24



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Angst, Betrayal, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Secrets, First Kiss, Fluff, Growing Up, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Era, Slow Burn, Teenage Drama, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-06-26 12:47:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15663522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookobsessed24/pseuds/bookobsessed24
Summary: With her Hogwart's letter in hand, Thea Gaunt steps out of her muggle life and into the wizarding world.Little does Thea know that Voldemort has returned and is out for blood. That he's not just coming for the Boy Who Lived. That he's discovered her existence and wants her dead. But why?Little does she know of the danger she is in for over the next 7 years. People change. Relationships change. Those who are enemies one second can be more than friends the next. Those who are friends can be worse than enemies in time.





	Traitorous Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This story is going to take place throughout Thea's seven years at Hogwarts. The plot will continue to thicken as the story goes on. I plan on building relationships throughout the first few years, later adding much more romance as they get older. I will try to update whenever I can! Thanks so much for reading!! Let me know what you think of the story :) All credit goes to JK Rowling.

The grey owl perched itself on the windowsill of the small stone cottage, in the hidden Muggle village of Castle Combe, England. In its claw it clutched a single letter, addressed to one Theodosia Gaunt on 17 Whitegates Street. Tapping its beak on the windowsill, it dropped the letter onto the wooden floor. The girl in the next room whipped her head around and broke into a warm smile.

“Farley’s back!” She exclaimed, racing into the living room and dropping down to grab the letter. “Mum, Dad, come quick! I’ve got a letter!” She tore into the envelope, drawing out the parchment addressed to her and reading it three times before she could tear her eyes away. Her bright eyes looked up, locking with the eyes of her parents who had appeared in the doorway. “It’s from Hogwarts,” she whispered.

Her parents strode into the room, worried smiles tightening their features. “Let me see it, Thea dear,” her father spoke, crouching down to her eye level. He read it quickly, then passed it to his wife. When she had finished reading, she looked up at him, fear clouding her eyes. This day had come far too quickly.

“Felix, what are we to do?” She glanced at her husband, and then their daughter, who was looking back and forth between them, trying to understand what their hesitation was for.

“What do you mean, what are you to do? I’ve got to go, Mum! I’ve only been waiting for something like this for my entire life! A wizarding school, where I can learn spells and charms and potions and… and… even more magical things that I don’t know about yet! I can meet kids who are  _like me,_ ” Thea cried, a desperate look on her face. She had spent her entire life in this tiny village, only allowed to experiment with her magic in their cottage. In all her 11 years, she hadn’t found a close friend, because she simply didn’t fit in: she was too daring, too clever, too interested the impossible. She liked the other kids, but there was always some degree of separation. They would never understand her powers, so she had to keep them hidden. Not that she had a choice, because she was sure her parents would murder her if she used them out in the open. They always said how they followed the same rules she did, keeping their magic in the house. But she couldn’t understand  _how_ they could do that all their lives. The rush of surety she always got when charming the dishes to wash themselves or her toys to put themselves away was unbelievable. How could someone ignore those feelings half of their life?

“Honey, you don’t understand. It’s not that we don’t want you to go. It’s just that the wizarding world is.. complicated,” her mother said slowly. “We aren’t sure it’s time for you to leave yet.”

“But the letter says that I’ve been accepted! Surely that means that the school thinks I’m ready. I can’t stay here forever, you know. I just want to explore all the magic and-”

Her father stood up abruptly and walked toward the door. “Evanora, can we talk for a second?”

Her mother nodded, smiling quickly at Thea. “We will be right back, I promise,” she soothed., then followed her husband out the door, closing it behind her.

Thea sprang up and almost sprinted to the door, pressing her ear to it to listen in. “I know eavesdropping is rude, but just this once I think I’ll let it slide,” she whispered to herself. She could hear traces of the conversation between her parents through the wooden door, straining to listen.

“It’s too dangerous still. I know everyone says the Dark Lord is dead, but they don’t know him like we do. He is too strong to be defeated by one little child-”

“She would be at risk, because of us. If he is out there, he is still searching. We’ve done such a wonderful job hiding here-”

“But what if her powers become uncontrollable soon, and she uses them in the open? All of our charms and hexes on our home that conceal our magic would be rendered useless-”

“I trust Dumbledore with all my soul. He would not let harm come to her-”

“We can’t leave, though. He knows us too well. He could find us in no time, with his Death Eaters everywhere-”

“But they don’t know her. She would be unrecognizable to them. She’s been here her entire life: no one in the wizarding world has ever caught sight of her-”

“Hogwarts will help her control her powers and hide her in plain sight. Sooner or later she’ll expose her powers to the muggles here, and he will know exactly where we are. It’s safest for both her and us to send her.”

“I don’t like it, but I have to agree. We can’t take the risk.”

Thea stumbled back from the door, hearing the conversation halter. What did they mean? How much danger could they be in, and why? Her parents were the most kind, cautious people she had ever come across. It just didn’t add up.

But before she had time to think any more of it, her parents burst through the door once more, smiles plastered on their faces.  _So now they’re pretending they are in love with the idea,_ Thea thought.  _Something isn’t right._ But if they were about to let her go, she wouldn’t dare to question them. So she just smiled brightly back. “So I can go?”

“Hogwarts doesn’t know what it’s getting,” her dad chuckled. “Just stay out of trouble, okay?”

“And don’t go around making enemies!” Her mom chimes with a sly look, but her tone implied that she was being frighteningly serious.

“Okay, okay! I promise I won’t.” Thea smirked back, joking. She could be a bit of a troublemaker, but she knew better than to make friends with the wrong people. Her overprotective background had shaped her into a strange combination of reckless and cautious. “I’ll stay in line, don’t you worry,” she reassured. “Now, when do I start?”

“Not til September first,” Her dad laughed. “And  _boy,_ do we have a lot to tell you before then…”

 

——

 

Thea craned her neck up to meet the eyes of the giant wizard who was standing on their doorstep.  _Bloody hell, is this guy tall._   _He has to be at least 8 or 9 feet tall. Wizards may be weird, but no_ ** _way_** _can this be a normal height!_

“Rubeus Hagrid, at yer service!” He said heartily, thrusting his huge hand forward. “Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. You must be Miss Theodosia Gaunt.”

Thea practically fell over from the force of his handshake. “Call me Thea, please. Otherwise I sound like an old widowed vampire who spends her days enticing younger men into her den of death. Are you the one who’s taking me to shop for my supplies?”

But he didn’t answer her, for he had bent over from laughter, snorting at her jab at vampires. “Ya know, plenty o vampires would not be too happy ‘bout that statement,” he chuckled, leaning in close. “But I’ve met a few like that meself. Quite creepy things,” he whispered, eyes gleaming.

She smiled back at him, then looked beyond him to the motorcycle parked in her driveway. “Did… did you come on that?” There had to be better wizard forms of transportation.

“Oi, me old motorcycle? Of course. Never trusted something more’n me entire life!”

Thea eyed it warily. “So… this is what’s taking me to Diagon Alley?”

“Yes, but we’ve got to make a quick pit stop first. Got another traveler coming along.” He checked his watch. “Well, we’ve got to git a move on, alright. Hop on, Thea Gaunt.” He walked over and sat on the vehicle. Thea followed him and sat gingerly behind him. “Now hold on, kid. We’ve got quite a ride in store!”

The motorcycle rose into the air, and Thea screamed in surprise.

 

——

 

The wind whipped Thea’s dark brown hair as the motorcycle landed on the craggy rocks in the middle of the sea. A storm was tearing through the air, flashes of lightning dancing around. The small hut in front of the two riders had no visible light, so Thea figured whoever lived there must be asleep. She looked up at Hagrid with a questioning look. “What are we here for?”

“I think ya mean  _who_ are we here fer.” Hagrid gave her a small smile before stomping up to the wooden door. He didn’t even attempt to know: he simply ripped the door off its hinges. Thea’s eyes widened, and she tentatively followed him inside. The moonlight streamed through the door, casting a low glow over the room. Hagrid turned to try to fix the door, and when Thea turned back to the room, she was met with a pair of bright green eyes, filled with fear.

 

——

 

The boy had introduced himself as Harry. Harry Potter. She didn't recognize the name, but Hagrid had acted like the boy was a gift of God. She didn't really get it- he looked like any other eleven-year-old would. Messy black hair, wire-rimmed glasses, soft skin dotted with ghosts of freckles. If he was some sort of hero, he sure didn't act like one, as he was now clinging to her like his life depended on it. Apparently she wasn't the only person who'd never seen a motorcycle fly before. He was kind of quiet too, a bit on the shy side, but she didn't mind. She could talk for hours and hours if anyone would ever let her. He had a nice smile too, she noticed. Full of warmth and open with honesty.  _Mum always said that the first thing you should look at is a person’s smile._ She thought.  _A smile shows the best in people, and if the best is still cruel, then the worst is unimaginable._ It was a great idea, really, but this far in her life she had never seen a truly cruel smile. She hoped she never would.

 

——

 

Thea and Harry took in the sight of Diagonal Alley, identical expressions of amazement on their faces, frozen in place. Then, a screech filled the air, and a blob of brown came hurtling towards them at full speed. Thea’s deep green eyes widened in shock, before she threw herself to the ground, pulling Harry down with her, who had made no move to save himself. They glanced up as it passed over them, flapping its wings in urgency.  _An_ ** _owl_** _._ Several seconds later, a teenaged boy ran through the crowded streets, following the crazed owl. “Pigwidgeon! Come back!” He screamed, sprinting blindly toward Thea and Harry. This time she could not react fast enough, and the boy tripped over them, landing hard on the cobblestone streets. “Oi! What are you doing lying in the middle of the street?” He yelled at them, but his voice lacked venom. In fact, a smile was slowly spreading over his face. “You've made me lose the family owl!” He stood, extending a hand first to Thea, then Harry.

“Maybe we were on the ground because your damned  _owl_ tried to take our heads off!” Thea shot back, but found she was already forgetting about the troubling owl. The boy chuckled, then reached out to shake her hand.

“Fred Weasley, at your service. Actually, I should be thanking you. Maybe Mum will finally let me get a new owl. That old one is no better than a blind bat with rabies.” His smile was bright and full of mischief, something Thea found she liked.

“Thea Gaunt. Glad to be of service, Fred.” She smiled back at him, but it faded when his face darkened.

“You’re a Gaunt? I thought your family was… gone.” He glanced at her, as if he could discern the truth from her face.

She frowned at that. “No, my family is definitely  _not_ gone. You must have misheard.”

He looked like he wanted to persist more on the topic, but he decided against it, shrugging, and turned to Harry. He searched Harry’s face, his eyes widening at something Thea didn't understand.

Harry smiled nervously. “I'm Ha-”

“ _Harry Potter._ ” Fred breathed incredulously. “It's really you. You  _are_ alive.”

Thea blinked, glancing at Harry, but thankfully he looked just as confused as she felt. “I… I'm sorry. I'm not quite sure what you mean.”

Fred's eyes widened even more, if that was possible. “ _What?_ You're Harry Potter! You're the boy who lived! You're the baby who defeated the Dark Lord! You're… You're… You're the hero of the Wizarding World, Harry!”

Harry was stunned. So was Thea. Who was the Dark Lord? If he was so terribly amazing, how had little baby  _Harry_ killed him?

“I'm the  _what?”_ Harry said slowly.

“You haven't heard? Have you been raised by muggles or something?” Harry blushed, looking down. “Ah, I see. You have. And I bet they never told you anything?” Harry shook his head.

Just as Thea was sure Fred was going to tell them the story of Harry’s life, Hagrid clunked up to them. He nodded at Fred, smiling. “Hello, Weasley. I've got to go take these two to get some supplies. We're in a bit of a hurry here, so I'm sorry for stealing ‘em away.” He winked, then took off down the street. Thea and Harry watched him, then turned back to Fred.

“Well, goodbye Fred. Nice to meet you!” Thea smiled. Maybe we'll get to talk to you soon. See you at Hogwarts?”

“If I'm not on house arrest for losing Pigwidgeon, then yes, of course.” He winked. “I'll see you two around.” He waved at them then turned the other way and began walking back from where he came. Thea and Harry waved back, then spun around to follow Hagrid.

Harry glanced at her questioningly. “Do you know my story?” He asked, and through his hair Thea noticed a faint scar in the shape of a lightning bolt.  _Hmm… why didn't I notice that until now? I bet that's how Fred knew it was him._

She shook her head. “I'm just as in the dark as you are. It seems we both are on the outs.” His brow scrunched, and he continued forward, then glanced back after a few seconds to check if she was following.

Thea gave Harry a small smile as they pushed through the crowd. It was already them against the world.

——

 

Thea checked her list. She had already gotten her wand, her robes, and her pet. She had chosen a small silvery owl that reminded her of Farley back at home, deciding on the name Iris. Its huge grey eyes drew her in, and its small beak pecked at her lovingly when she held it. Now Iris was nuzzling the edge of the cage by her leg, trying to rub against her. She laughed, reaching down to scratch its head.

Harry and Hagrid had gone off to Gringotts to get Harry's money and something that Hagrid needed, and she hadn't found them since. All she knew was that she needed to be ready by 2 pm, so she had time to pack all her new things before the train left at 3. The next items on her list were textbooks, scrolls, and ink, so she walked over to Flourish & Blotts. Thea thumbed through copies of  _Hogwarts: A History_ and examined potions and charms textbooks. How strange it was to see no biology or geometry books! Just as she flipped some pages in another book, she became aware of someone watching her. Thea glanced up, searching, and then locked eyes with a pale boy with silvery-blonde hair. He was smirking at her.  _Uh oh._ She thought.  _Mum never specified where smirking fell on her smile chart._ She shot him a quizzical look, and he began to stroll the few feet over to her, leaning on a bookshelf.

“You look like you've never seen a textbook in your life,” he drawled, lazily twirling his wand in his left hand, his eyes on her.

“As a matter of fact, I  _have_ intensely studied from these before.” She shot, squinting at him.  _Just not on these subjects._

“Could have fooled me. You looked like a mudblood, gaping at the newfound magic.” He smirked to himself, as if he had just made a joke.

“I'm sorry, what is a mudblood?”

His jaw dropped, and he looked at her with disdain. “Are you sure you aren't one?”

“Well, if you  _actually_ told me what one was, then maybe I could give you an answer.” Thea rolled her eyes, finding this boy to be  _very_ difficult already.

“A mudblood is a wizard that has two muggle parents.” He stated simply, but his eyes shone with disgust.

“Why is that so wrong?”

He blinked. The disgust in his eyes faded, replaced by slight confusion. “Well.. er-” He looked behind him, and Thea followed his gaze to the back of a tall man with long hair the color of the boy’s. The boy turned back to her sharply. “It… it just  _is_. My father tells me it's a disgrace, so it must be true.” He finished, crossing his arms, trying to bring back his air of confidence.

“So you must have two wizard parents?”

He scoffed. “Of course. I'm a Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. I'm a part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, of course I'm pure-blooded.” He paused, considering. “And who are you?” He said with a jerk of his chin in her direction.

“Theodosia Gaunt. But everyone calls me Thea.” She stuck out her hand, unsure what else to do with herself.

He refused to take it. He stared at her with surprised eyes. “Gaunt, you say? Used to be an honorable name, but then, well, I suppose you know what happened. Shocked my family, I know. Slytherin House through and through, and they-”

“How do you know my family?” Thea peered at him cautiously, beginning to feel unsettled.

“Well, every pureblood knows them, of course. It's not every day something like _that_ happens. Caused quite an uproar, according to Father.” He stopped, squinting, and crossed one foot over the other. “You know, I don't think he knew you all were alive. Surely he would've come for you, right? To get his revenge-”

A large white hand appeared on Draco’s shoulder before Thea had the chance to ask who he was talking about. Draco immediately tensed, and Thea felt a pang in her chest. She had  _never_ flinched when her father put a hand on her shoulder.  _Then again, my father doesn't go around claiming Mudbloods are filth._ “Draco, it's time. Bring your books to the counter to pay.” He turned his eyes onto Thea, giving her a shark-like smile, and she avoided his gaze. “Tell your little friend goodbye. What might your name be, dear?” He emphasized the “dear,” and Thea found she didn't like that one bit.

“Theodosia Gaunt,” she replied, finally meeting his eyes.  _Don't be scared. He's just an angry old man._

“ _Now is that so?_ ” His voice was like ice, his face stone. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Gaunt. I am Lucius Malfoy. Do tell your parents that I send my regards.” His words were injected with venom, and he stared deep into her eyes as if she didn't already understand the tone of his voice.  _A pleasure my arse._

She refused to give any hint of fear or anger away. She gave him a tight smile, bidding him goodbye. He turned and began walking towards the exit, snapping after a few steps when Draco didn't follow.

“See you at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy.”

He nodded, turning to follow Lucius. “Goodbye, Gaunt,” he called over his shoulder, leaving.

Leaving her alone with too much information to process. Only two things stuck.

Number one: Her family was apparently bloody infamous for some reason she couldn't understand.

Number two: Lucius's grin had made her sick to her stomach.

She tried to choke down the bile rising in her throat.


End file.
